A Day-To-Night Out With Aimee Kelly

There are busy days, and then there are Aimee Kelly’s days in September. When New York’s fashion set descends on the city for a packed schedule of shows, parties, and the street-style moments in between, Aimee is right in the middle of it all — usually in an outfit that makes blending into the crowd virtually impossible.

For the content creator, whose maximalist approach to getting dressed favors bold color, unexpected combinations, and a healthy disregard for the rules, the week offers an excuse to turn the volume all the way up. “When I’m thinking of styling looks, my mind goes straight to how bold I can make it,” she says. “My favorite part is styling a look that’s as bold and fun as possible — if the weather permits, because she’s the queen.”

The result is a schedule that’s equal parts exhilarating and exhausting, with up to three outfit changes, a packed content schedule, and very little downtime. Here, Aimee takes NYLON along from the first look of the morning to the last stop of the night — with the iconic blue bottle of Saratoga® Spring Water serving as both hydration essential and bold accessory.

From Day...

There’s no such thing as easing into the morning when your calendar is stacked with places to be and looks to serve. “Every day is different; no two are the same,” Aimee says. “But mornings usually consists of a quick breakfast, makeup, hair, outfit on, and straight to shooting content. Then it’s attending events or shows, changing for the next one, and repeating that all over again.”

Aimee makes capturing content a priority, even if it means waking up earlier or occasionally sacrificing an event to get the shot. Her preferred backdrop needs little production design: Give her a great outfit and a New York City street, and she’s set.

Before she heads out, there’s also the matter of packing a bag capable of keeping up. Lip liner and gloss, travel perfume, headphones, setting powder, gum, electrolytes, and Saratoga® Spring Water all make the cut. Hydration, in particular, is nonnegotiable. “Staying hydrated is the one thing I don’t dare skip,” she says.

“My energy comes from the nonstop going. I don’t know why — I’m driven by the chaos.”

It helps that her water bottle happens to complement the wardrobe. “Saratoga® Spring Water tastes so delicious that I wouldn’t trade it for anything else,” Aimee says. “Plus, walking around with it adds a touch of accessory to the outfit.”

Once she’s out the door, the pace only accelerates. Aimee can shoot as many as three different outfits in a day, hopping between appointments and shows while handling glam touch-ups — and even full wardrobe changes — from the car. The constant motion is part of the appeal. “My energy comes from the nonstop going,” she says. “I don’t know why; I’m driven by the chaos.”

So much so that even an empty Saratoga® Spring Water bottle earns a spot in the look. “That’s the only water that becomes an accessory,” she says. “Even when I’ve drunk it all, I keep the bottle with me because it gives such a cute touch to the look.”

...To Night

Eventually, the sun goes down. Aimee’s schedule, however, does not.

After dark, the city shifts from shows and appointments to dinners and parties, and Aimee is more than ready to dress for the occasion. “I love how in September it’s still warm enough that on those nights you could style outfits and just enjoy the view of the nightlife, the night outfits with the glitz and glam,” she says.

If her schedule allows, she’ll head home for a reset and another outfit change. She tends to have her nighttime look already waiting — planning ahead means precious minutes aren’t wasted staring into the closet. “I love to go home, refresh, and put on a new look,” she says. “When I do, it’s like I’m renewed, and I feel like I could last way longer outside.”

“My favorite [nights are] when I’m so delusionally tired that everything makes me laugh, and I just can’t stop laughing.”

And she may need that second wind. Some nights, parties don’t start until 11 p.m., long after a full day spent shooting and running around the city. Others end with takeout in bed while she removes her makeup and prepares to do it all again the next morning. By then, exhaustion has a way of becoming its own source of entertainment. “My favorite [nights are] when I’m so delusionally tired that everything makes me laugh, and I just can’t stop laughing,” she says.

It’s exactly that mix of glamour and chaos that keeps Aimee coming back. For all the outfit changes, car touch-ups, packed schedules, and late nights, she hasn’t lost sight of how thrilling it is to be part of it.

And this September, she already has one more look in mind. After carrying Saratoga® Spring Water alongside her boldest outfits, Aimee has decided the iconic blue bottle deserves top billing. “This year I’m so planning a fit around the bottle and wearing it as my main accessory,” she says. “And you’ll see how cute and chic it looks.”

On anyone else, a water bottle might be something to toss into a bag. On one of New York’s most colorful style stars? Consider it street style bait.